Bio

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Bio

ABOUT

Khari Mateen is a songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist working all over the world.

Working with Grammy-nominated artist and on Emmy-winning films, he’s had a successful music career spanning various projects, collaborations and albums. His work encompasses his perspective, creativity and storytelling via song.

Most recently, Mateen collaborated with rapper and long time poet, STS to produce their newest project, Better on a Sunday. Khari and STS opened up for Busty and the Bass, a Canadian electro-soul and hip hop band from Montreal, Quebec in a nationwide tour starting February 2018. Better on a Sunday was released January 26, 2018 via Steel Wool/Empire. (Anderson .Paak and Watsky).

Originally from Bakersfield California, Mateen relocated to Philadelphia at 17 years old, where he began his career in the music industry. A producer in the making, Mateen learned the music business from his friend Richard Nicholes and Kenyatta “Kelo” Saunders – a live engineer working with artists such as Jay Z.

His first credits of note came with The Roots’ 2006 album Game Theory (Grammy nominated), for which he co-produced the title track, “Livin’ in a New World,” and “Clock with No Hands.” In addition to continuing his collaborations with The Roots — he contributed to their albums Rising Down and Undun — while Living in Philadelphia he work with artists and musicains such as, Joy Denalane, Jill Scott, Tye Tribbett, James Poyser, J*Davey, and Roots offshoot, Money Making Jam Boys, among others. In 2011, Mateen produced “Make My,” the title track to The Roots’ Grammy nominated Undun.

Mateen - who sings, and plays cello, bass, guitar, and drums - began releasing solo recordings in 2011 — Khari (EP) — and came out with his debut album Wait for Sunrise in 2012. He recorded the album, a brief set of moody and slightly off-center R&B, through his label, The Lunchroom. Soul Train named it one of 2012’s best releases. Mateen was also one of seven men featured in the 2012 Fall Men’s Issue, Philadelphia Style Magazine, Philly Men on the Fast Track to Success. In 2014, Mateen released his second album Wishful Thinking. Mateen has since toured the globe with both Cody Simpson and RJD2 amongst others.

While producing, Mateen began composing for independent films and TV shows. He scored the Sundance series Brick City, which went on to receive a Emmy nomination, as well as the HBO Documentary film, Prayer for the Perfect Season. In September of 2016, Khari’s song “Day by Day” was placed on OWN Network’s hit television show, Queen Sugar. The next month, Fox Network released a project where Mateen provided bass used for the re-creation of the music classic film, Rocky Horror Picture Show. Additionally, Mateen scored the documentary's We Could Be King and Keepers of the Game which both debuted at the Tribeca Film Festival. In 2017 he scored the film project, "Time: The Kalief Browder Story" and He and Danilla Furst (Composer) followed up with "Rest in Power: The Trayvon Martin Story" both of which are executive produced by Jay-Z and was released on the Paramount Network in July of 2018. Lastly Khari has scored the film ‘Student Athlete’ presented by HBO Sports, airing October 2, 2018.